Outta This World
by HighQueenMaeve-LadyOfSmut
Summary: Erin B-170, descends into the Battle of Earth amidst the Great Schism and find's an ally of necessity in Risha 'Moramee and a Jiralhanae Chieftain named Maximus. Together with SSgt Alex Fairchild, they must survive the chaos that is New Mombasa, despite their differences and forge the bond only soldiers share. That of Brotherhood in Battle, and possibly more. !CANCELED FOR RESTART!
1. Prologue: The Stage is Set

Klaxon alarms blared throughout the UNSC _Infinity_ holodeck, ending the War Games simulation the pair of Spartan's were engaged in. They had been competing against one another in combat, and having ran dry of their ammunition, had taken to each other with blades and fists. Erin B-170 stopped mid swing, staring into the visor of her partner, Garrett A-290. They both detangled from one another, haven taken their fight to the ground with grapples and mounts, and helped each other to their feet. Garrett was the first to the communicator, greeted by the face of Margaret Parangosky: something only a few were happy about.

"Ma'am,' he said, giving her a lazy salute before removing his helmet. He was six feet tall, bald with blond eyebrows.

"I have a mission," She said, as quick to the point as a rapier. She looked past him, watching Erin slide her Titanium-Tungsten broadsword into its scabbard on her back. "For both of you."

"Is there any other way?" Erin asked rhetorically, retrieving her fallen rifle before taking her helmet off. She was six feet, five inches tall, with long blond hair spilling over her back. Her skin, like Garrett's, was pale enough to reveal the blue veins beneath, making them both look rather like corpses.

"Indeed there isn't." She affirmed, returning her attention to Garret. "There's a Covenant CAS class vessel in Earth's atmosphere, unloading ground forces and generally making a mess of my favorite Safari country. I want you to go knock on their door and ask them politely to quell their party before I call the police."

"Transportation?" He asked, reaching behind himself to catch the rifle sailing for his head. He entered a code on the com panel, opening a compartment with six filled magazines. He took three, tossing the other three over his shoulder to Erin. She caught them, sliding one home before stashing the others on her armor.

"Taken care of," Parangosky said. "The Frigate _Et Tu Brute_ is docked in _Infinity's_ landing bay. Commandeer her and her crew, and insert via SOEIV. I want you in that ship and in the sky with the ODST battalion that will also be dropping at the same time, but I want you there first. While they're causing chaos, you can slip through unnoticed, take the commander out and deliver it to the Navy."

"By Navy…"

"Bring it back to the _Infinity_ construction station or destroy it Garrett, I don't care which. If you must destroy it, please try to make it past Mars before you do."

"Yes Ma'am. Consider it done already."

"Another thing," She said, holding a pair of folders up for the camera. "There's a new breed of Spartan in the works. Entirely volunteer, so the option is open to the both of you should you choose to take it. I'm also ordering you to upgrade your armor. Generation two MJOLNIR is up and running already, so get equipped and carry out your mission. That will be all." She closed the line, darkening the screen.

"She's scared," Erin said, her voice a throaty whisper as it always was since the second bout of augmentations.

"I don't think Momma gets scared, E." Garrett slapped the door control, revealing a pair of Armor Techs. "You here to take our measurements?"

"Something like that," One of the techs said. "If you both will follow us." Garrett looked back, ensuring Erin was close in tow. She stopped by the door, gathering a small duffle from a bench and letting its contents clack together a few times. They followed the science officers to an elevator, riding the ship tram stemward. Erin shuffled each time the gravity lessened as they sped past the structural rings, getting a few odd looks from the two techs. Soon they arrived in the Armory, watching six other SPARTANs being outfitted in the ringlike devices. "Pick a station and whichever permutations you like." The leading technician gestured to the rings and their robotic arms. "The machine will do the rest."

"Now that's a gift," Erin said, to the station directly ahead of them. She accessed the terminal, scrolling through the specifications of each variant. "This is very nice." She stared at the screen intently, the station technician giving her uneasy glances as she manipulated the gui fervently. He jumped when she lifted her gaze to him, her ice blue eyes seeming to bore into his soul. "Im ready," She said, setting her bag down and beginning to strip from her SPI armor.

 **XXXXXXX**

"This planet is beautiful." Risha 'Moramee muttered to herself as she descended to the city below in a Phantom. She stared out of the gunner's port, soaking up the diverse geographies beyond the city's asphalt influence.

"It is a shame the human's have infested it so." Risha looked behind her, eyeing the Brute Chieftain with mild confusion. He chuckled as he noticed her, shaking his head lightly. "You're not accustomed to Jiralhanae having a taste for beauty, are you?"

"I cannot say as I am Maximus." She turned her view back out to the horizon, marveling how the distant jungle and savannahs met with each other, spilling into the ocean together. "Why is it a shame?"

"Because," He said, standing and joining her at the port. "The Prophets will not let their infestation stand as it is. They will cleanse their cities from this planet with holy fire." He gestured to the city beneath them. "So much of this planet is like this. Much of its bounty will be lost as collateral damage, and what the human's created will be damned as heresy."

"What the human's created? You think something so artificial as this human city to be beautiful?"

"No," he said, taking a metal tube out of his small satchel. He opened one end, retrieving a roll of paper. "But they are capable of creating masterpieces of art, as well as literature." He opened the roll, presenting a painting. "It is called Starry Night, painted by a human named Vincent. I took it from a museum one the first world of theirs I helped… cleanse." He sighed, rolling the paper back up, stashing it in its case and hiding that in his bag. "Have you no qualms about this Risha?" He checked to make sure they were alone. "This total pursuit of humans until they are removed from the universe entirely? The Great Journey is for all in the universe to make, yet they are not allowed?"

"It's not my place to question the will of the gods."

"That's the thing. The doctrine states that we offer them a place on the journey."

"I think you're looking too far into this," She said, giving him a look that broadcast how annoyed she was becoming with him. "I joined to help rebuild the honor my forefather Ripa 'Moramee lost my state by being Arbitered. I have no interest in the Journey or the Gods. I only care about what can be observed and measured."

"A being of science, then. I can understand that." He crossed his arms, looking down at her due to his towering height. "Think of this then. How many lives have been lost in this conquest of the Galaxy? I am not speaking only of the humans. Your people, my people, the Lekgolo, the Unggoy, the Kig Yar… Countless resources wasted in our war, ships better suited to finding the rings and other relics, perfectly habitable worlds decimated to simple rocks in space only because the Humans reside there. Diosac has had colonies in the past, as has Sanghelios. Why are they so different? They think, they love, they fight, they create art, literature, study science, practice martial arts. Contemplate the ethics of it, Risha, the logistics. So much is being wasted when we could work together and further each other."

"You sound like one of them," She said, chuckling to herself. "My first mark talked like that before I took it out."

"And what does that mean if I, one they call Brute, came to the same conclusion?" He looked behind himself as Unggoy and Kig Yar filed into the bay, taking positions for assault.

"It means that it's time to do our jobs, Maximus." She readied her DER, powering her shields to full and taking her place alongside her squad.

 **XXXXXXX**

"Stay with me buddy, you're gonna be fine!" Air Force Staff Sergeant Alex Fairchild yelled over the gunfire and explosions as he yanked a Brute spike from a marine's stomach. The marine screamed in agony, writing on the ground as Alex injected Biofoam into his wound, stopping the bleeding before giving him a Rumble Drug and Beta Blocker injection.

"What the fuck are you doing doc?" The marine mumbled as the pain faded, shaking his head side to side as his vision clouded momentarily.

"That spike hit your aorta." He said, closing his pack back up and gathering his Battle Rifle. "Go take out a few of those alien bastards before the biofoam wears out." He helped the marine to his feet, shoving a MA5 rifle into his hands and moving to the next screaming, wounded soldier.

"You mean I'm gonna fuckin _die_!?"

"Yes!" Alex barked back over his shoulder as he poured burn gel onto a plasma wound. " You can sit there and let your body burn up before the biofoam loses cohesion or you can start fucking shooting the god damn Covenant!" A spike grenade went off near the triage area, a capsized Warthog catching the fragmentation but the shockwave knocking Alex over. He picked up his BR as he got back to his feet, taking down four Grunts in as many bursts of fire. He looked back as he took cover to reload, noticing the marine was still there. "Hey, look at me!" The marine gave him a shocked stare. "I have five other soldiers to try and save. You wanna make a difference before you die? Keep these bastards from killing me before I can stabilize them." The marine stared at him for a few seconds, glancing from Alex to the wounded men behind the destroyed Warthog. His face set with determination as he gave a quick nod, raising his rifle and firing at the encroaching enemies.

"To the rear!" Someone yelled before a shock wave passed over them, accompanying a deafening burst of sound. Two brutes erupted in flame and gore as a shell from a Scorpion tank impacted their armor, igniting the Grunts and Jackals beside them. Alex continued his work, removing a wounded Army private's chest armor. He was gasping for breath, coughing up blood. Alex noticed the ragged hole in his left armpit, identifying it as a Needler wound. He injected Biofoam, using blood to mark his forehead as a priority. He moved on to the next one, passing him up after checking for a pulse and finding none.

"Take his ammo!" He called to the marines, removing a grenade from the dead soldier's vest and lobbing it at a group of Jackals. He didn't wait to see if it was effective, simply moved on to the next soldier. The woman was stifling her anguish with clenched jaws as she tightened a tourniquet around her thigh. The leg had been severed at the knee. Alex readied a painkiller for her but she caught his hand, waving him off.

"Gimme what you gave James," She said, pale and sweating. "Damn femoral is cut. I'm not walking away from this."

"You wouldn't be _walking_ anyway." He said, stashing the sedative and handing her the dead soldier's M6. "You're not dying. Keep shooting until the EVAC bird arrives." She nodded, charging the weapon and rolling over to fire at the aliens. He moved to the last man, already aware the one between the woman and him was dead. His chest was a vacant hole, filled with gore and burnt tissue. The last man was barely conscious, his head covered in blood. A marine was slapping him on the face to keep him awake, holding his head up with his spare hand. "What's his problem?" Alex shouted as the tank fired again. The marine lifted the man's head, revealing part of his skull missing. His brain was intact, shining with the membrane that covered it. "Alright, when the bird lands I want him in there first. Have the medics wrap his head in plastic and rush him to surgery as soon as they land!" The marine nodded, pointing to the husk of a Ghost twenty meters away.

"There's more men over there," He said over the gunfire. "I pulled them out of a burning APC before a Bravo Kilo smashed this one into a wall." Alex nodded, running toward the husk. He was halfway there when he heard an explosion and felt molten asphalt spatter his armor. He turned back to find all the men he had just treated smouldering, plasma still devouring their exposed flesh. An Elite was nearby, moving in on the former triage station with his Plasma Rifle raised. The marine still standing fired into it until his magazine ran dry, tossing the weapon away and priming a grenade.

"Get away Doc!" He shouted, his left leg vaporized at the hip and his right arm blown to chunks. He had spikes riddled through his chest and stomach, blood pouring from his body and mouth. "I got this bitch. Hey ugly!" He yelled, getting the Elites attention. He dropped the grenade into a pouch at his waist filled with others before leaping at the Hinge Head. He latched on with his limbs and assorted stumps, wailing on the Elite's face with a bare fist before detonating. Alex was thrown back, landing behind the tank.

"Fall back!" the tank commander called over the radio, the Scorpion moving in full reverse as soldiers ran alongside it. "Wraith! Six o'clock!"

Alex scrambled for the alley, stopping in the security bulkhead and looking back for anyone following him. He turned his gaze skyward, drawn by motion. Hundreds of ODST SOEIV pods were dropping into atmosphere, trailing fire and smoke as they punched through clouds, headed directly for the Covenant Carrier. Six of them veered off course, headed in another direction that the rest. He was drawn back to the ground as an Explosion sounded, heat from a plasma burst washing over him. The tank was a smoldering heap, its ammo stores popping as they cooked in the husk. The remains scattered as an SOEIV landed in the body, tossing flaming metal and volatile munitions in all directions. A bright flash of light filled the sky, blinding him. He clenched his eyes shut, falling back into the alley and letting the bulkhead close behind him.

 **XXXXXXX**

"Ten kilometers off the hard deck." Garrett said, transmitting between Erin and himself. They were operating SOEIV pods, maneuvering them manually through the clotted air above New Mombasa. They were aimed directly for the Covenant Carrier, bee-lining full thrusters for its secondary dorsal landing bay. Intel said the shields were down, but only time would tell if that was true. "Five kilometers. Get ready to come out swinging E. This isn't going to be very quiet." He removed his MA5K from its holster in the pod, loading a magazine.

"They don't like it even when it is quiet," She said, readying her own carbine rifle. "Shit!" She dropped the weapon, grabbing the controls and altering course to avoid a Seraph fighter in her path. A red light flashed, letting her know the thrusters failed. "I'm off course and possibly out of fuel. Air patrols are getting thicker."

"Keep the house warm for me then," he responded, making small adjustments manually. He narrowly missed a Banshee patrol, but their cover was blown as they spotted Erin's pod. Two seraph fighters launched from the carrier, its silver surface shimmering as the shields raised. "Wha… Radiological Alarm! They're entering Slipspace!"

"Since when can they execute a jump in atmosphere?"

"No idea. Try and squeeze a few more bursts out of your thrusters. If you're at the right angle…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll slip under the shockwave. Got it." She yanked on the stick twice, being met with a more powerful burst that necessary which set her on an almost horizontal approach. She looked up as she fought the pod for another correction, seeing a bolt of green plasma sail into Garrett's pod. It passed through in a spin, corkscrewing away from her. "Garrett!"

"Fuck!" He groaned, his helmet cam showing attempts to stabilize his descent. "No displays, no stick…" He punched the explosive bolts, receiving only a puff of smoke and a jet of sparks into the occupant chamber. "Door's welded shut. Fuckin come on!" He kicked at the glass, causing it to spiderweb. He continued to fight it, but the glass never budged. "I'm gonna try the chute…"

"Don't bother," Erin said, finally leveling her descent. "Plasma cooked it." She hung her head, preemptively counseling her own grief as the inevitable drew closer. "I'm sorry Garrett. You're flying a coffin."

"Hey, don't sound so sad." He released himself from the straps, slamming his full weight into the door. "We've both made it out of worse." He continued to attempt escape, receiving only more cracks in the glass. "What is this stuff made of?" He stopped as he heard Erin choke back a sob, sighing and taking his seat again. "Hey… Listen, You're strong. You'll be fine without me. They'll give you a new partner, maybe even make you an officer like Kurt."

"I don't want a new partner," She said through strained voice. "Garrett…" She settled into her seat, letting the tears flow free. She opened her eyes as an alarm sounded through the cockpit.

"Hard deck's coming up E." Garrett took off his helmet, turning it to look into the camera. "You'll be alright kid. Go teach those assholes a thing or two. I'll get hell warmed up for em. Good bye E." He dropped his helmet, shouting a cadence from Camp Currahee. Erin watched as he careened past her, her retro thrusters firing to slow her before her chute opened. He was angled straight for a highway, trailing fire from the failed door bolts. She watched as long as she could, but closed her eyes, listening to him call cadence until the com line was severed. She touched down a few seconds after, keeping her eyes shut, crying silently in her armor as the world around her tumbled from the shock wave of a ship jump.

She stayed this way, for how long she didn't know. Garrett was gone; _dug his own grave_ as the saying was. She was scared, but it wasn't the first time. She was approached when she was three, asked if she wanted revenge for the death of her parents. Without hesitation she had signed the contract, then woke up in a Pelican, forced to do a night drop. She had pushed harder, ran farther, shot better, thought smarter, until Kurt chose her to join a special group of Spartans. She met Garrett when she was eleven, sent deep into Covenant territory again and again to eliminate high value targets. She was scared each time they began their assault, but Garrett was there. He was her rock, the only thing constant in her life after she was orphaned.

And now he was gone.

She could hear the Covenant surrounding her pod. Brutes, Grunts and Jackals speaking their strange language. It translated in her Command Neural Interface, but she ignored it, consumed as she was. Alone against an uncertain enemy strength, on the home-world of Humanity. Everything was uncertain now, everything was at risk. Her life, the lives of every human in the galaxy. Everything rested here on Earth. Opening her eyes she saw a brute standing before the pod, his weapon trained on the opening, ready to cut her down when she stepped out.

But did it really matter? Was there any hope left for anyone?

She looked about the pod, seeking a way out and finding none but the front door. With a deep breath she steeled herself, transforming her sorrow into rage with each breath, each memory of how he had looked after her.

They had taken everything from her. Her mother, her father, her home…

And now Garrett.

She blew the bolts, smashing the Brute with the door as it sailed away. It mashed his snout into his skull, the other enemies training their weapons on her. She curled into a ball, planting her feet into the seat before launching herself off the surface. She tackled a Jackal, driving her knife into his skull and using his Needler against his compatriots, still clutched in his hand. A Brute closed on her, but she drew her sword, lopping his leg off at the knee and severing his arm at the shoulder. The titanium edge sheared flesh and bone, the tungsten carbide spine withstanding the force of a MJOLNIR clad Spartan's swing. She turned around, filling a group of Grunts with needles before the weapon ran dry. She drew the M7 on her hip, pelting another group of grunts as she sheathed her sword, lobbing a grenade into a pack of Jackals hiding behind their shields.

"Come get me you mother fuckers," she snarled, throwing her knife into the eye of a Brute as he charged her. She followed up with a punch, shoving the blade deeper into his skull and surrounding her fist with gray matter. The Brute fell on her, limp, but she diverted him away, retrieving her knife before jumping on another and driving him to the ground. She deactivated her Visor, revealing her face, screaming as she brandished her knife. The Brute yelled in fright, gurgling and coughing blood as she buried the blade in his chest, throttling his throat with the other hand until she pulled his trachea from his body, dragging a lung with it. Her motion sensor read clear, and, panting, she rose to her feet. She dropped the gore she held, scavenging weapons from the fallen marines littering the square. She shook with adrenaline, heart racing fast enough to set her bio-metric monitor crazy with warnings.

With deep breaths she calmed herself, stilling her hormone fueled palsy and slowing her heart rate. A glance to the south showed the smoking hole that was Garrett's impact. She moved toward it, but held no hope that he could be alive. MJOLNIR protected a body from many things, even exoatmospheric entry. However the impact of reentry coupled with the pressure of the SOEIV collapsing in on itself, as well as the tons of earth and concrete around it, left little chance for anyone inside. As all this ran through her mind she had only taken her first step. She stopped herself, the cold pit in her chest aching with a dull throb as she said her final goodbyes and began heading for the nearest UNSC transponder.

 **XXXXXXX**

Risha pulled the trigger of her DER, being rewarded with a fizzle as the Power core ran dry. Maximus covered her, filling a Human with spikes before he could fire his shotgun. She took cover behind a wall, changing the core for a fresh one.

"No need to hide," Maximus said, nudging a human slumped against a wall with his Spiker. The body fell to the side, painting the wall red as it traveled. "They are all dead. Once more…" He sighed, obviously unhappy with the slaughter. He squatted and gazed upon the corpse's face, ear twitching as if listening to something distant. With a snarl he stood and slashed a wall with the blades on his weapon, scarring deep runners into the material. "Why must we do this!" He roared at the sky, his rant aimed where Regret's ship had once been. "What have they done to deserve your wrath?"

"Still bemoaning the fate of the Humans," Risha asked. Maximus rubbed his face with a great hand, shaking his head as he closed on ehr and led her by the arm toward and alleyway. "Unhand me," She demanded, shaking him off of her once they were in the shade of the buildings. Several Jiralhanae ran past, rushing to meet their foes with bloodthirsty glee, howling to each other as they hunted their prey. She made to exit the alley, only to be blocked by one of Maximus's great arms.

"That would be a _very_ unwise decision," He said, his expression grim. He gestured further down the alley, guiding her gently with an open palm to the shoulder.

"Why are you leading me away from the fight," She asked, trusting his guidance for the nonce. "And what would be an unwise decision?"

"There… has been an order." He moved away from her as they rounded a corner, completely protected from sight. He squatted down, tossing his weapons aside and out of reach. "An order to kill all of your people." Risha blinked twice, her mandibles parting slightly as her breath caught in her chest and her hearts fluttered with fear. "Second's before _Solemn Penance_ left this planet, a coded transmission was sent to all Jiralhanae on the ground. To you it probably sounded like a loud piece of static. The prophet of Truth, as well as Regret and Mercy, have demanded that all Sangheili be killed. I am certain that your compatriots in orbit will also be eliminated by the re-enforcement fleet crewed solely by Jiralhanae that just arrived." Risha cried out a fear choked sigh, clutching her chest as she fell to her hands and knees. THousands of Sangheili men and women were being slaughtered around her as Maximus relayed this to her, and the gravity of the situation grew upon her mind with each second.

"W-wha… What about Sanghelios?" She asked, her eyes wide with shock. Maximus shook his head.

"I do not know," He said, full sitting on the ground. "Though, If I were to give this order it would behoove me to eliminate any chance of reprisal." Risha cried out again in horror as he spoke the words, the pity he felt at the sound causing his chest to tighten. She sounded like a grieving mother who had lost her young child, a sound he had heard many times on Diosac, and it instilled in him the same sorrow now as he had felt then. He extended a hand, trying to offer a comforting hand. However Risha swiped at him with her dagger, forcing orders of 'get away' past her wheezing sobs as she crawled slowly towards a corner. Sensing they would draw unwanted attention, he stood, pulling her to her feet and rushing her into a human building. He released her as the door closed, ducking back as she drew her Energy Sword and swiped at him.

"Get back!" She demanded, Her eyes no longer filled with sorrow but with rage. "This is all your fault! If we had never let your people join the Covenant My people would still be alive!" She swung for him "This is why the Humans were not offered their place among us!" She swung again, not caring if she had stuck or missed. Maximus ducked to the side of the first swipe, and caught her wrist on the second. He grabbed her shoulder with his free hand, shaking her lightly.

"Stop this foolishness and save your anger!" He took the blade from her as she stood stunned by the tone of his demand. He was not angry with her, but sounded as if he shared her sorrow. "There are those among my people who will still follow your kind. You are a proud, noble and honorable people, and you have commanded us well and treated many of us with the respect that we deserve when we do well, and are merciful in your punishments when we fail. I pledged to follow my commander into danger when I joined this Covenant, and the Gods damn me if don't follow you now." He gazed into her eyes with loyal intent, as well as admiration like he would look upon a painting or a relic of the Gods. "If I was going to follow this order, don't you think I would have struck you down when your weapon was empty, or simply have let the human shoot you while he had the chance?" He held out the deactivated weapon, letting her take it from him. Risha was about to respond when motion caught her eye. Activating the sword, she spun to face the threat, only to have her arm stopped and her leg swept from under her. A human shotgun barrel was pressed into the ocular port of her helmet, Risha able to clearly see the red casing in the chamber.

"So," the slowly visualizing Demon said, shifting its visor between Risha and Maximus. "I have a proposition for you."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Alright, so I went through an old computer I had and found a bunch of these things from around the time Reach was released. They were all really terrible and so messy, but I thought the plot lines were decent enough so I'm cleaning them up and posting them here when I have a chance. Id love to hear any opinions, criticisms or suggestion to possibly make my writing better. Thanks for the read! :D**


	2. Chapter 1: Rewriting Preconceptions

Alex sat beside a window overlooking downtown Mombasa, blankly staring into the distance, passively absorbing all the sounds of war from the distance. His mind drifted in and out of the present, remembering the things he had seen hours prior. No matter what he thought of, his subconscious returned to the horrific still frame images of the marine that sacrificed himself to save him. His limbs and face cooked by plasma, revealing charred bone beneath the layers of skin and muscle, his flesh filled with the still glowing spikes of a Brute weapon. For eight years he had been in this war. For eight years he had borne witness to scenes like that; scenes of a man too wounded to survive that he amped up with drugs to give him and the men and women around him a chance for reprieve. He wrung his hands slowly as he watched these moments in his life replay, sitting and enduring the shame he felt for damning them to a last violent and futile stand instead of trying to make their passing peaceful. Tears had cut long molten lines in the grime that caked his face, leaving salt upon his skin symbolically marking the scar's in his psyche.

He was a coward, at least in his eyes. While men and women died around him before the flash, Alex simply watched in horror. He had ran from the fight, hiding in the alley as the Brutes gunned down what remained of the soldiers he was tending. He had stayed there, crying, huddled in a corner, bemoaning his circumstance. Until a Spartan arrived, that is, who pulled him to his feet and shoved a weapon into his hands. He ordered him to follow along, and to stay quiet. And he did, too shocked by the day to complain. The Spartan had ordered him to stay and provide lookout here in the penthouse of the hotel while they cleared the remaining rooms. And so he stayed, though looking out was not what he did. Instead he wallowed in self pity and indulged in vain self-consoling that their deaths weren't his fault.

"Inside."

He increased his respirations, elevating his heartrate to pull himself into the now. He adjusted his position, gazing at the floor as the door opened. A Brute and an Elite walked in, hands raised and weaponless, held at the point of a shotgun operated by a Spartan. The Spartan moved them into the center of the room, closing the door with a blind kick behind. The aliens looked about warily, sizing him up as he stared through them.

"More strays?" He asked, chuckling humorlessly as he polished his palms. The spartan patted them down, keeping their weapon trained on the other as they did.

"Allies of Circumstance," The brute commented, receiving the butt of the shotgun to the back of his head.

"Quiet," The Spartan demanded hoarsely. The Brute grumbled to himself but did as he was told, silently massaging the bruised flesh of his trapezius muscle. The Spartan finished searching the pair, tossing plasma grenades from their pouches toward Alex, who caught and stashed them in an empty bag. The spartan motioned to the chairs in the room with the weapon. "Sit." The Aliens did as demanded, quietly taking a seat and subconsciously relaxing into them. The Spartan removed two MRE pouches from their armor, holding them up for the aliens before tossing one into each of their laps.

"A peace offering?" The Brute asked, taking the small ration pouch in his hands.

"Something like that," Alex said, setting two bottles of filtered water on the table between them, it's surface littered with weapons in various stages of disassembly. The Spartan moved to the couch Alex occupied, slowly sitting while keeping the Aliens at gunpoint. "Go on, they're not poisoned."

"You are strangely generous, Human." The brute said, retrieving the bottles slowly, watching the Spartan's weapon as he went.

"And you're strangely well spoken, Brute."

"My name is Ma-"

"Your name is filth!" Alex didn't raise his voice, but projected his hostility effectively. The brute sighed, then nodded once. "You come here and invade my home, kill my friends and family, all so you can move along on your bleeding Journey." He glared into the alien's eyes, jaw clenched with anger. "We are not friends. You are a means to an end that we currently are exploiting."

"And when you're finished with us?" His eyes turned to the Elite, his anger mixed with surprise at the feminine tone of its voice. "Will you kill us then?"

"No," He said, his anger cooling. "Unlike you two, I'm not a monster." He glanced to the Spartan, who was slowly removing their helmet. "That's what the Spartan is for." They all watched as the helmet rose, watching the golden locks of hair cascade from the seal like molten steel from a crucible. "My God you're a woman," He said as her face was revealed, taking in the translucent skin and eerie ice-blue eyes. Her nose was petite, pointed and thin with a slight upwards curve. Her jaw was squared but feminine, and her chin narrow but defined. She had high cheeks and full lips, however all of her beauty was altered into strange fear by the intensity of her unblinking stare.

They all stayed as they were for an hour, each quietly eating. The brute stared out the window, watching the Banshees, Phantoms and Pelicans perform their deadly ballet. Alex fidgeted with his fingers, staring at the floor. The Spartan and the Elite stared at each other, not touching anything but the arms of their seats. Alex made quick glances at the Elite, sizing her up. She was a Special Op's by the configuring of her armor, consisting of sloping curves and sharp points.

"What're your names," The Spartan asked, causing Alex to jump at the sudden sound. The Brute dusted crumbs from his hands, turning his vision to the humans.

"I am Maximus," She said, holding a hand out to the Elite beside him. "And she-"

"Can speak for herself." The Spartan lowered her weapon, laying it across her thighs as she propped a foot on the table. "And she can take off her helmet. I want to see her eyes." Maximus nodded once, returning his hand to his knee. "My name is Erin. Spartan number B-170." She prodded Alex with an elbow, causing him to fumble his words and fidget more.

"Alex." He said before clearing his throat and wetting his lips. "Staff Sergeant Alex Fairchild." The three of them looked to the Elite, getting a bob of the head from her and a sigh.

"Fine," She said sharply, removing her helmet. Alex had to admit, this was the most visually intriguing Elite he had ever seen. Her skin was flawlessly smooth and as black as the darkest sector of space. Her eyes almost glowed with the golden color within them, the irises filled with nebulous variations in color, causing him to feel like he was staring into a star from the observation deck of a ship. "My name, though I doubt it matters any more, is Risha. Risha 'Morame-" She halted, sighing through her nose. Alex watched as she did, noting the motion of reptilian like nostrils not far beneath her eyes. When she spoke, she spoke with an accent like the English of Earth. Refined, and carefully composed syllables. Her mandibles stayed closed as she spoke as well, forming makeshift lips. "Risha 'Moram." She looked downward slight, before Maximus placed a large hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"We are no longer of the Covenant then, are we?" She shook her head, seeming to smile as she glanced sideways at him.

"No. No we are not." She took a deep breath, locking eyes with each of the Humans. "I do not mean to be rude to your great lengths of hospitality, but I cannot eat this," She held up the cracker like bread from the MRE. She spread her mandibles slightly, presenting her myriad of sharp, conical teeth." I cannot grind my food like you three. Is there any meat or fruit in the domicile?"

"Alex," Erin said, prompting him to stand.

"Yeah, I'll go check…" He said, sounding both depressed and exasperated. He moved into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a basket filled with fruit and a container of raw lamb. "I don't know if you cook your meat or not, but…" He offered both to her.

"Usually we do," she said, but took the container and a plum from the basket. "But I can eat it raw. Unless," She turned to Erin. "You will let me cook it." Erin shifted her head to the side slightly, gesturing to the kitchen with a hand. "Thank you." Risha said before standing and vanishing into the adjacent room. Erin watched her go, distrust clear in her expression.

"Watch her," She said to Alex, getting a nod before he followed Risha down the hall. Erin opened her MRE, picking through the contents until she located a tube of spiced cheese. She tore the end from the tube, pressing the contents into her mouth.

"He said we are a means to an end," Maximus said, slouching in his chair. He steepled his fingers, tapping the tips together to a beat. "What is your plan then?" Erin adjusted her position, removing the grenade on her belt and setting it aside.

"SnD, sabotage, high priority assassinations." She tossed the empty tube away. "I'm not dumb enough or brave enough to wage a one Spartan war." She grabbed blindly behind the couch, retrieving an SRS99D AM Rifle after a few tries. "However I am willing to wage a one Brute war."

"What makes you think th-"

"I'm not blind. There are alligators littering the streets. Not just the one's some marines filled with lead. They're full of spikes, plasma burns all over their bodies and armor, needle shards in their chest cavities. There's a purge in your Covenant." Maximus sighed, nodding his head slowly as she spoke, feeling the shame of what was happening.

"Then what would you use me for?"

"Bait." Erin smirked as she said the word. "You're a chieftain, the highest rank a Brute can hold. I send you out, you come back to a designated spot with someone important to the supply line or the chain of command and then I take off their head." She slipped a magazine into the receiver, charging the bolt and activating the safety.

"I don't think that it will be so easy," Maximus said. "Jiralhanae are very secular. If I don't carry weight in their tribe then they will not follow me blindly. They will want to bring a pack, and maybe re-enforcement along with that." Erin tutted, shaking her head.

"That's not good enough. You're smart, they're stupid. If you say the right words then they will follow you into a burning building."

"No they will not. My people don't hold intelligence in as high a regard as humans, or even Sangheili, do. They only respect strength and piety."

"Then wow them with your muscles or appeal to their sense of belief. You can do what I want or I can just kill you right now. Believe me, I'm taking great strides to even speak to you, so you might want to start working with me here."

"There is just no possible way what you are asking me is going to work." He chuckled nervously. "Please, take us to your commanders. Risha and I will tell you anything we know, anything that can help."

"You're close to her, aren't you?" Erin scoffed, shaking her head. "You've got a crush on her, don't you?"

"Human," Maximus became stern, posturing aggressively. "I advise you to reconsider your course of thought immediately."

"Fine, I didn't say anything. Whatever you want to believe." She held up her hands, nodding her head once in acknowledgement. She waited for him to relax slightly before grabbing a pistol from the table and leaping from her seat toward the kitchen. Maximus roared after her, following as quickly as he could to stop her, but she was agile in her armor and wove around him. She planted her boot in his gut, delivering two kicks and a punch to his diaphragm, dropping him to his knees, gasping, before she returned to the course she had set.

 **XXXXXXX**

"Why do you follow me human?" Risha opened cabinets in the kitchen, searching for whatever the humans that inhabited this home used as spice. She was certain they used salt, she had found that on other human worlds, but she was curious what other flavors they enjoyed.

"Cause the boss lady said so," Alex said. Risha turned her gaze to him, noting his mocking expression before returning to the cabinets. "So," Alex checked his rifle safety, ensuring it was on. "You're a female?" Risha closed the cabinet, sighing in mild annoyance.

"Yes, I am a woman," She said. She removed a small jar and opened the lid, carefully scenting the contents. It smelled foul, and she pulled her head away, hissing slightly. "Did they defecate in this?" She muttered, setting it on the counter far away from her person.

"What, you don't like cloves?"

"That's what it's called?" She gave him a glance, leering at the jar on the counter before returning to her search. Alex stood up and slung his rifle, moving along side her and urging her to move away. He dug through the shelves, hunting through the seasonings and spices.

"Salty, sweet, or spicy?" he gathered several groups of cans into bunches, bringing them all toward the front. He pointed to each of the groups respectively. "Nothing in there should be too potent or pungent, but be careful. That's all the meat I could find." He sniffed, scratching the back of his head as he returned to his place near the doorway. Risha opened the cans, smelling them individually and in couples, selecting the ones she thought complimented others better than some. "So, Female." Alex said, unable to bear the silence that pervaded the room. "I haven't heard of any female Elites in the Covenant army."

"They're usually aren't," She replied, rubbing the spices into the lamb. "We train with the men from a young age but usually stay on Sanghelios to guard our keeps and states."

"Sanghelios? That's what your world is called?"

"Yes." She stopped, thinking and letting her head list from side to side slightly. "Or as close an approximation I can make in your tongue. It sounds different in my language, but only slightly." She stared at the stovetop, puzzling out how it worked.

"It's electric. Should be a skillet or pan in that cupboard over there." He motioned to the corner of the counters, drawing her attention to a Lazy Susan type cupboard. She thanked him and looked through the rotating shelves, kneeling. Alex turned on the stove for her, taking one of the pieces of fruit from a hanging basket. "So what's it like on Sang-helo?"

"Sang- _helios_ ," She corrected, standing back up with a skillet in her hand. "And why are you so interested?"

"I'm bored," He shrugged, taking a bite of the apple. "Ya see things in war, 'specially as a medic…" He swallowed, coughing slightly. "Things that creep back up on you from the deepest corners of your memories, usually when you have nothing to do and nothing else to think about." He stared at the floor, or more aptly _through_ it, his gaze hollow as scenes from New Alexandria played over his vision. He shook them off, forcing himself to stay in the now. "So humor me. Tell me about your home." Risha stared at him, her eyes less stern than they were before. She could tell he meant well, that he didn't like this conflict, that he wished his lot was easier.

'I suppose you're right Maximus,' she thought, returning her attention to the preparation of her meal. 'Perhaps they aren't so bad.' She had reached for a knife when the door flew open. Erin rushed in, grabbing Risha by the arm and forcing her to her knees. The Spartan moved behind her, placing the muzzle of her M6 against her shoulder.

"Hey woah hold up!" Alex got to his feet, holding out his hands toward Erin. "What the hell are you do-" He stopped, turning around as Maximus charged to the door, rage on his face.

"Don't be stupid, you big Ape," Erin said calmly, barely loud enough to hear in the mild commotion. "You move, I make her death _really_ painful." She pressed the weapon harder into Risha's shoulder, causing her to wince as the flat edge of the barrel cut her skin. "I know alot about her physiology. I won't hit anything major at this angle, except her lung, nick her liver a bit. ANyway, suffice to say she would die from internal bleeding, unable to speak because one lung is jelly and the other is filling with blood, and it would be all your fault."

"Erin," Alex stepped full between the two powerhouses, holding his hands up as if he could keep them apart should they start fighting. "Take a second to think about this. We need them. We wont last out here on ou-"

"You kill her, Demon, and I will tear you limb from limb, and wear **your skull as an ornament, and your skin as a coat**!" MAximus slammed his fist into the refrigerator, caving the door before roaring at her.

"I'll take my chances big guy," She replied, placing her finger against the trigger. "So what's it gonna be? You gonna follow, or are you gonna die beside her?" She glared at him, daring him to move. "Come on. Either way I have fun."

"Erin!" Alex unslung his rifle, aiming it directly at her head. He switched off the safety, getting a furious glare from her in return. "Don't make me do this," He pleaded, shaking his head slowly. "Let. Her. Go."

"Maximus…" Risha began, but Erin smacked her head with the butt of her pistol grip. MAximus snarled at this, his eyes constricted to pin pricks as his anger grew. Risha looked at him, her eyes soft, pleading for him to do something. He slowly calmed, taking deep breaths as he came back to his senses. He looked around the room, projecting scenarios in his vision of how he could save her. Every way they failed, and somberly he stood upright again, spitting on the floor at Erin's foot.

"Fine," He planted his fists on his hips, jerking his head back the way he had come. "We will do this your way. I know of a staging area that many chieftains will use to receive orders from the Hierarchs." He waited for her to move, to release Risha.

"Now we're talkin'." Erin grinned, chuckling with a sadistic glee. "A little Hunter Killer, I like this. You point 'em out, get them out of sight, and I'll take them out from far enough away that I'm just background noise." Maximus nodded, motioning to Risha.

"As soon as you release my commander."

Erin looked down at Risha, noting the stern nature of her glare, then at Alex with an expression that stated 'we'll talk later'. She lifted the weapon from her shoulder, pointing it away and pulling the trigger. The weapon sounded with a click, dry firing the pin. She shoved Risha to her hands and knees, walking away through the door, following Maximus out of the room. Alex stared after them, checking that they had left the apartment before he slung his rifle and set the door back onto its hinges.

"What's their issue," He mused to himself, shaking his head as he examined the damage to the door and the refrigerator. He sighed, but grew still as sound caught his ear. It sounded like crying, and it confused him because they were alone - he had cleared the building before Erin had found him. He turned around to find the sound coming from Risha, still on her hands and knees, a small puddle forming beneath her as her quiet sobs caused her to shake. He shuffled uncomfortably, caught off guard by this.

The entire length of the war that he served for, he had painted her people in a monstrous light, as well as the Brutes; chose to envision them as creatures that fed on human flesh and organs and took great joy in destroying planets, a universal force that wouldn't stop until every human was dead and vaporized, and every planet was charred and glassed. However, now, he was seeing a different side. Thought brief, his interaction with the pair of aliens began to shift his perspective. She was more human than he had thought, and the one he had viewed as providence was more monstrous than he had thought possible. Erin seemed to relish in suffering, taking joy from the trauma she could inflict. Her eyes and expressions, even the way she spoke, seemed nearly sociopathic. It was almost like she _wasn't_ human, as if she was a suit of armor with a human head attached to make UNSC personnel more likely to assist it. He took a knee beside Risha, placing a hand on her back. Pity for her filled him; She was alone on this planet, with enemies in every direction, hidden in shadows and directly before her.

"Hey," He said softly, pulling her from her hands and towards the cabinets behind them. "Come here. Let me see your neck. Don't want that to get infected with some human disease, do you?" He gave her a soft smile, opening his medical kit and treating the small cut with antiseptic. He covered the small cut with an adhesive bandage, one covered in hearts and flowers he had scavenged from a blasted out drug store. "There. All better." He stuffed the medkit back into his pack. "Won't even leave a scar."

"Why do you help me?" She asked, looking up at him and remind him of scolded dog. He sighed heavily, noticing he did that a lot now.

"Because it's my job," He said, pointing to the red cross on his shoulder. He took of his helmet, running a hand through his short, brown hair.

"No," She said, looking him in the eye. "Why do you help _me_?" He gave her a puzzled look, prompting her to gesture with her hand lazily. "The spices, the food, the stove. You tried to intervene when the Demon subdued me. Why do you help me?" She looked at the floor in front of her, gazing past into the spaces between. "My people have done so much to your kind, killed so many, burned your cities, pursue you relentlessly through space. Yet on this world I find you, someone who, by all rights, would rather kill me for vengeance than bandage my wounds. Someone who would more likely instigate the Demon to kill me, rather than question her motives and threaten her." She blinked, Alex watching the sideways lids close, finding them curious. He thought on her words, questioning himself on each point she had made.

"Alex?"

An indefinite amount of time passed, and with a few quick blinks he came back to the world, finding himself staring at her still. He shook his head, standing and moving toward the stove. He slapped the lamb into the skillet, turning it with a pair of tongs as the outside seared.

"You're right, Risha." He dashed a pinch of salt on the meat as it cooked. "I don't know why I did that. Any other human would have jumped at the chance to shoot you, to take revenge for what the Covenant had done. I suppose it's because I've'nt really lost anything. I grew us here, on Earth." He chuckled, looking back at her. "Yeah, the Covenant found the human homeworld. That ought to raise some spirits." He turned his attention back to cooking. "But uh… No i haven't really lost anyone to this war. Yeah a few of my friends were on Reach, but I hadn't seen them since I was a kid." Risha cocked her head before getting to her feet, standing over him and watching him work.

"Tell me more," she requested. "About before the war."

"Well…" He huffed, ballooning his cheeks as he recalled something so distant. "I grew up in Georgia. That's on the western continents, across the ocean on the other side of this continent. Lived on a ranch in the countryside. Beautiful place, Georgia; Rolling hills and low mountains, pastures and forests, brightest colors I've ever seen naturally on earth, and I've been all over this planet. It's hot, summers can get up around 45 degrees celsius, but that just makes them more fun in my opinion. All the girls would come out to the lakes and ponds to swim, and they'd wear Daisy Dukes and halter tops. Bonfires on the ranch, cold beer and driving with all the windows down… Almost seems like it's been a lifetime since I last had a Southern Summer."

"It sounds a lot like Sanghelios," Risha said. "Hesduros at least. My family lost their keep before I was hatched, so they relocated to 'Mdama. It's a farming state, not very prestigious, but none of the urban states would take us after Ripa was Arbiter. Mdama was simply glad to have more warriors among them, and there was plenty of food in Mdama, unlike Vadam or Ontom." Alex placed the cooked lamb on a plate and handed it to her, turning off the stove and leaning against the counters. "It didn't hurt either that we were of the same race as Mdama." She gestured to her head, tracing a line down her upper left mandible.

"I was going to ask about that. All the other hin…" He shut his mouth, sighing in frustration. "The other elites, their mouths are different than yours." Risha nodded, tearing a piece of the meat off and feeding it into her maw. He watched as she chewed, the bottom 'chin' pivoting as he mandibles worked in sequence. They undulated, teeth clacking together occasionally before she swallowed. "And that's how you do that." he mumbled under his breath, looking away before she caught him spying. "Interesting…"

"What's interesting?" He looked back to her, noticing she was tearing at the food again.

"Oh! Uh… Just the similarities. In where we grew up." He bobbed his head, looking around the room as she ate. "I'd love to see it one day," He blurted without thinking, catching himself after. "Sang- _hee-_ lios…" He muttered the word repetitively, bobbing his head as he did. Risha watched him, chuckling at how awkward he was in the moment. "What?"

" _You_ ," she said, poking his chest as she walked past him and through the door. He followed, taking a seat on the couch beside her. "It has been a very interesting day." She pushed the remainder of the food into her maw, her mandibles working harder this time to accommodate the size of the morsel. Alen watched her again, fixated on the motions. Risha watched him stare, finding his fascination quite amusing. "The women you mentioned. Did any of them gain your interest as much as my mandibles do?" Alex blushed, tearign his vision away and focusing on a potted plant in a corner. She laughed, giggling aloud at his embarrassment. "Come now, don't be so put off." She reached over and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He looked at her hand, then to her, finding her strange, slightly parted mandible grin endearing. "Here," She said, sliding closer and lowering her head to be level with his. "Go ahead, touch them. Hopefully it will quell your fascination."

"I-I don't think that's a good idea," He said, chuckling nervously. She sighed and rolled her eyes, gripping his forearm and raising his hand.

"Here," She said, placing his fingers along the outside of her lower left mandible. "I won't bite, you have my word." She released his hand, expecting him to pull it away. However, he kept it up, lightly petting the smooth skin. She relaxed her jaw, letting them separate slightly. His fingers moved over the surface, then trailed along the edges before her lightly pried one away from the others. It tickled, and her jaw twitched, causing him to pull away slightly. He returned, though this time he adjusted his position and used both hands, moving closer to examine all the small details. He pried and pulled, but was always gentle, feeling the membranes that connected them all together near their joints. She was glad her skin was so black, as she felt blood rushing to her face, embarrassed slightly that she was deriving so much pleasure from the contact and attention. He made to grab at her teeth, but stopped himself.

"May I?" he asked, looking far more embarrassed than he had before. She nodded, her eyes affixed to his. He took a deep breath before he slowly fit his hand into her maw, all four mandibles held open wide as he pinched a long fang. It had the smooth texture of a shark's tooth, and was serrated on the back. "Wow," He said under his breath, blushing brighter as he could feel her warm breath on his skin. "You don't have a tongue?" He asked as he lifted and lowered her 'chin'. She answered him by relaxing her throat, letting the long muscle relax and fall into his hand. She saw him blush brighter at this, chuckling to herself and finding it rather cute. She coiled her tongue around one his thumb, then his index finger, slowly pulling it away and letting it hang free below her jaw. Alex continued to toy with her mouth, and Risha silently admitted to herself that it was slightly arousing her. She was aware that he breathing had increased and her temperature had raised, along with the tempo of her hearts, however she was embarrassed that a human had caused her so much duress. She was glad when her removed his hands, and she closed her mouth quickly, causing a dull clack to fill the room.

"Better?" She asked before trying to slow her breathing.

"Yeah," He replied, taking deep breaths and shuffling in his seat awkwardly. "Thats, really interesting actually."

"Good." Risha replied, watching his hand move, adjusting his pants. "So… About the women."

"No, no... " He quickly replied, trying to hid the strange erection he now sported. "I uh… I was never good with ladies. Teey would say I was cute, but not in the good way. I was always too awkward." He finally policed his belligerent genitals, sighing relief, hoping she hadn't noticed. "That's not saying I've never had sex. I've had loads of sex. Just not any relationships." He slapped himself mentally, cringing outwardly. "Of course you probably didn't want to know that," he swiftly added, stumbling over his words. "I mean why would you want to know that it's not like you're into me or anything like that I mean I'm a human and you're…"

Risha watched him stumble over himself, examining him. He was tall for a human, almost as tall as the Demon, his skin was fair and smooth, his jaw strong and his nose well shapen, and his fatigues were strained by muscle. She found him to be rather attractive, much to her confusion, a fine example of a prime human male. 'Why was his sex so important?' she thought, her eyes drifting over his form, pausing on the bulge in his pants. 'Why are you staring at that?'

"Are… you ok?" She tore her gaze away from his body, focusing on his eyes. They were brown, but seemed to glow with many hues and other shades. She found herself very close to him, hovering over him in fact, her jaws slightly open.

'What are you doing?' She thought as she felt her hearts pounding like pistons, her head swimming and her body so hot it felt as if she was on fire.

"You're… a very interesting person Alex…" She stayed over him, one hand rising to cover his. "I would like to learn more about humans, I think."

"Well I-I would be more than happy to tell you whatever you want to know!" He was panicking, unsure of what to do. She was so close he could smell her, the lightly leathery scent he smelled before in the kitchen had intensified. It carried notes of spice and sweet hints almost like warm hay from his childhood days working a cattle ranch.

"I think…" She began, taking his hand and bringing it up to her jawline. When she released him, his hand stayed, his eyes darting to his fingers as they lightly stroked and cupped the edges of her mandible. She opened the clasps on her chest armor, pulling the metal shell away and tossing it across the room with a single hand, removing his armor with the other in a similar manner. "I think I would rather feel, than talk." His eyes locked onto hers, and he felt his body begin to react as her hand began to rub against his chest.

'Oh man…' he thought. 'What am I about to do?' His hand refused to obey his orders, staying against her jaw, gently pulling it away from the others, caressing it in a way he could only imagine as sensual. He groaned as her tongue unraveled, lapping at his digits as they came within range. He whimpered with mixed emotions, fear combined with intrigue and pleasure, as her hand dove under his shirt, separating the velcro of his blouse as she massaged his stomach and chest. He took a deep breath, mentally flipping a coin. Heads, he ran. Tails…

He slid a finger down her side, the rubberized suit opening down the trail with a slight glow. She took his other hand, pressing the palm between her hearts, letting him feel their pace and her elevated temperature. She pulled her hands away from him, swiftly removing her pauldrons and tossing them away to the sides. She stripped the undersuit back, exposing herself to him, her hearts hammering as his hands rose to her shoulders, caressing her shoulders and arms, eyes following them as they went. She mounted his lap, feeling his genitals press into her thigh as she gripped his second shirt, tearing it down the center like paper. She wound it about her hands, pulling him close to her face.

"Tails,' He breathed, eyes wide with energy. "Fuck consequences." He moved his hands to her slender waist, marveling at how smooth her skin was, how dense and tight her muscles were. Risha locked eyes with him, pressing her mandibles together and moving them in pairs, kissing him as she had seen in a video she watched from a human terminal. He returned the gesture, using her own body weight to push he onto her back. He tore his way out of his shirt and blouse, head swimming like he had fever. She closed her eyes as he tongue peeked forth from her mouth, and he closed his own as he followed her lead, invading her mouth as she did his. She pulled off her remaining armor, tossing it away as she went before kicking away her boots. He pulled at her undersuit, breaking the kiss long enough to peel it away from her legs. She giggled, feeling free and joyous for the first time in a year, and pulled him close again. His lips felt different, soft and warm and wet. She nipped and scraped against them gently with her fangs, urging him to increase the fervor with which he pressed against her. It was different, and he was thoroughly enjoying it; The way her teeth caught on his flesh, the way her smooth tongue pressed into his mouth, filling its capacity and tenderly exploring deep near his throat. His hands roamed her body, taking in every bump and bulge as they worked lower, diving between her legs and finding the crease he was searching for.

He slowly pressed his fingers into it, spreading the flesh. He found two holes in the gash of her skin, gauging which was which by her reaction. He tested the lower one, receiving a grunt of displeasure from her, quickly but gently choosing the other opening. He dug one, then two fingers into the dripping opening, Risha responding by moaning heavily as he dove into her. He withdrew, opening his fly and fishing his shaft out. Without warning he pressed in, guiding it up and into the appropriate orifice. She cried out, shifting her neck and latching her mandibles onto his shoulder. He cringed, stifling a cry as her teeth broke the skin. He sank his girth into her, stopping when he met resistance, still having inches to pour into her. Carefully he began to pump into her, her grip on his shoulder easing as her breathing picked up, hitching with each dive. Her eyes rolled as her senses overloaded, pressing back against him. He pushed in time with her, feeling the resistance fade and falling to the hilt. The unmistakable scent of Sangheili blood wafted up as he withdrew and he stopped, pulling his shoulder from her maw and taking her head in his hand.

"This is your first?" He asked, panting heavily as her face flooded with emotion. Shame crept back into her mind, and tears welled in her eyes. "No no don't cry, don't cry…" He pulled her into his chest, Risha pushing him back and staring into his eyes, tears flowing but showing a different mood.

"Don't stop," She said quietly, taking his face in her hands, brushing the short hair on his jaw. "I want this, and I want it with you." She gazed into his eyes, clenching her muscles about his length. He winced, nodding.

"Alright, but if you want me to, at any time…" He trailed off and she nodded, her hands sliding to his shoulders. One was covered in blood, causing her to feel a pang of regret. She treated the wounds with her tongue, lapping at them gently as he began to thrust into her. He rolled over, pulling her from the couch and onto the floor, pushing the table away with a hand. They continued to press against one another, stroking each others flesh, feeling it tremble, shining with sweat. Risha rose up, crouching over him, raising and lowering her cloaca over his genitals with the power of her thighs. Her body was filled with new sensations, each nerve firing like arcs of plasma whenever he touched her, whenever she touched him. With each thrust pressure filled her gut and chest, forcing her to cry out in pleasure and clench muscles she didn't know existed. Her mood elevated beyond the greatest joy she had ever felt, more potent than the most profound sadness. She felt like laughing, crying and screaming at the same time, and indeed she did. She giggled as tears flowed from her eyes, laughing bright and light, moaning and cooing as she did.

Soon the pressure in her body was too much. She slowed, feeling as if she would explode if she continued. Alex rose up, kissing and suckling her chest and shoulders as he toppled her again, pushing her onto her back and resuming the pace. Her cries grew louder, her muscles clenched harder and her gash spilled fluid as she climaxed.

"Yes! Gods yes! Oh Alex! More! More! Don't stop! Fu'ul ma'ar ena'ath!" She fell into rambling in her native tongue, spurring him on. He took her intent, feeling filled with vigor. He scooped her into his arms, straining as he lifted her hundred forty kilogram weight, carrying her to a wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing back against him as they slammed into a wall, breaking the plaster paneling. HE rolled them around the corner, straining each muscle past anything he had pushed before, fucking like a man possessed as he drew closer to the bedroom. She gave as good as she got, pressing her full weight to tip him into walls, letting the smashed plaster scratch his skin all down the hallway, slamming herself against his hips with twice the force he exerted on her. He pressed her into a wall once more, pausing his ardor to kick down the door. He lifted her from the wall, taking one thigh in a hand and, with a roar of strain, tossed her into the room. She landed on the bed, giddily laughing as she bounced, rising to her hands and watching as he tore out of his boots, peeling off his trousers. He stood silhouetted in the doorway, figure heaving as he caught his breath.

"Y'all like it rough, do ya?" He asked rhetorically, his native accent pushing through years of carefully crafted change. She spread her legs, grinning like a ravenous Helioskrill. He stalked closer, genitals swaying halfway down his thigh. She watched him approach, lapping at each mandible as she watched his endowment swing heavily beneath him. "Ah can play rough, now. Y'all ain't gonna forget this anytime soon." He leapt at her, landing between her legs and taking her thighs in his hand. He tossed her thighs up, hooking her knees over his shoulders and burying his face in her crease. She gasped in surprise as his tongue speared her, cooing and moaning as he lapped at her. He disregarded which opening he occupied, attending them both evenly as he went. They each tasted the same, like a rare steak smoked with oak, and he dove as deep as his body would let him. He was careful to feel for anything, and after an experimental lick she cried out, almost barking. "Now I got ya…" He focused on the light bump in her slit, causing her to tremble and seize, squealing and crying, gripping his head and back, scratching him with claws he was unaware she possessed. This only provided to spur him on, increasing how hard and fast he attended her apparent clitorus. Within moments he felt fluid rush from the opening just below, Risha giving a shrill cry and clamping her thighs against his head. It hurt, she was far stronger than any human he had ever met, let alone treated as he was treating her, but he enured. She soon released him, falling limp against the bed and twitching lightly and sporadically. With a champion's grin he slipped up her body, kissing and lapping at her throat, massaging her thighs and chest as she came down. He chuckled as she calmed, looking into her eyes.

"How was it?" She laughed, moaning as she ran her hands over his chest. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his tip pressing against her slit.

"I didn't tell you to stop," She chided, pulling him in. He chuckled, gently thrusting into her. She yelped and yipped, hissing as he went deeper into her. "T-that not the same h-hooooo oh gods…" He chuckled, continuing to slowly pump her, feeling the difference in tightness and texture.

"I know," He whispered, tenderly caressing her neck and chest. "But I don't think either of us want to chance genetic compatibility." He nuzzled her shoulder and neck, smiling as he hear her moan and groan with the pleasure of it. "Sound's like you don't mind it though." She shook her head, breathing heavily, slowly thrusting back into him.

"I-I w-would rather the o-other one, p-please." She groaned as he withdrew, able to regain her breath now that her rectum was vacant. He caught his shaft with the sheets as he withdrew, ensuring it was free of filth before he pushed back into her, taking the vertical path this time.

"Sorry," He said, rolling his hips to hit all possible angles and deliver maximum pleasure. "I was curious." She giggled, shaking her head.

"Ask first next time."

"Next time?" Alex stopped, staring into her eyes. She clamped her mandibles shut, preventing her from saying something she would regret. She gyrated her hips, causing his eyes to cross. He groaned as she giggled, clenching her muscles to ripple around him, his hips rolling once more as they continued. "Alright," He said, increasing the tempo with each thrust. "Keep your secrets then." He rose to his knees, gripping her waist, able to touch his thumbs and fingers to each other. He started pulling her into each thrust, her knees still hooked over his shoulders, pummeling her deepest recessed. Her eyes went wide, crying out in an increasing pitch until her voice gave out. He dug his thumb above his shaft, quickly locating her buzzer and jilling it furiously. She screamed as she climaxed a third time, the constant stimulation forcing her into a second simultaneous orgasm, fluid spraying from the tight seal their coupling formed, wetting his stomach and crotch. She gripped the sheets and mattress, clawing into the surfaces, twisting and writhing in his grasp, unable to pull away. It was painfully pleasurable, the most enjoyable torture she had ever experienced, agony and elation. She cried, she laughed, she screamed and moaned, calling his name, the names of gods, drifting in and out of English and Sangheili. Alex worried if she had lost her mind, however he carried on, feeling his own release creeping closer. Watching her give in, unable to resist, filled him with both pride and worry. Pride that he made an Elite devolve into a babbling, grunting, instinct driven being. Worry at how car she contorted and how hoarse she became. At one point her chest was against the bed, back twisted completely around. However he pursued, He praised and cried spurring his ego. Her slit continued to emit fluid, soaking the bed, forming a puddle about them. He was close, he could feel his orgasm churning in his prostate. He gritted his teeth, and with three final thrusts he buried to the utmost possible, his glans pressed against a barrier, nestling perfectly into what felt like a cervix. He unloaded into her, panting as he finished, remaining inside her.

They both panted, coming down from the sea of lust and passion they had just escaped. Slowly she uncoiled, returning to her back. She pulled him into a kiss, more liberal with tongue and teeth than before. She held his face as they separated, watching his eyes.

"I…" Risha began, but he stopped her, closing her mandibles with a hand.

"Don't you dare say that," He said sternly. "Those words don't belong here yet." She nodded eyes welling with tears as he released her, embracing her tightly. "That doesn't mean they're untrue." He gave her a squeeze, Risha wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight, crying quietly against his shoulder. Alex grabbed a blanket and tossed it over them, noting the sunlight filtering through the window as it fell behind the building around them. Slowly she fell asleep in his arms and he withdrew from her, rolling her to her side and embracing her from behind. He thought about what he had said, about what had just happened, sobering as he contemplated their actions. 'They can throw me in the brig if this was wrong,' he thought, kissing the dome of her head lightly. 'It damn sure feels right.'

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well, I'm gonna say it now because, holy shit, I didn't remember writing this little lemon. I'm out of synopsis space so I won't go back and bother adding the Lemon Warning in. Anyway, here's the proper Chapter 1. The last was a prologue, something to set the stage, and there may be some inconsistencies, but fuck it I dont have the drive to go correct them. This was terrible when I found it in my HDD, but I've done my best to bring everything up to the cannon I am aware of and fix my old, terrible, middleschooler-esque vernacular. There was a lot of Cunt and Cock in that Lemon before.**

 **Anyway, please leave any of your comments, criticisms and suggestions to make my writing any better. I'm hoping to make this part of a project that spans the length of HALO cannon from ODST all the way up to the current ion the main line, whatever that goes to (HALO 69?!). Peace out My Dudes, Be Excellent to each other.**


	3. Chapter 2: Suo Gân

Erin laid on the floor of the top floor office in a skyscraper, watching Maximus navigate the small encampment set up by the covenant near the former LZ of the Covenant carrier through the optic of her SRS99D. With micro-adjustments to her aim she followed him, keeping her finger off the trigger and her crosshairs on his chest. He had radioed ten minutes ago, letting her know that he was wanted by a Prophet in the main command structure. In her opinion, it was taking far longer than it should to reach said structure. Each time he moved out of sight, she used her smart-link software to reduce magnification, waiting for him to re-emerge. This happened frequently, and her patience was beginning to run thin. However, if a prophet was present on planet this would be an opportunity her standing orders would not allow her to pass up. So she waited, and waited, listening to the sparse radio traffic. It was mostly garbage; marine's calling for an evac, requesting support, maneuver information. She sighed as she blinked, changing the channel to the Covenant Battle Network. Maximus had given her a splice into their encryption, a device with a dish laid beside her and connected to her helmet via optical cable.

"Any update?" She asked over the secure line they had set up. He reemerged from behind a prefab methane replenishment station, looking about from behind a group of grunts lines up to top off their tanks. She thought about how they screamed when you took off their arm with an Anti-Materiel round, wishing times were simpler and she could take pot shots and anything that moved, including Maximus. "Come in King Kong. Any update?"

"Do not call me that," He grumbled as he glared toward her building, resuming his pacing of the lanes between Covenant prefabs."And no, I have yet to find the command structure. I was not here when this camp was constructed." He stopped before a larger structure, more heavily armored that the others. "I do believe I was in your custody when that happened."

"Less lip, more clip," She said. "Find that structure and get that Prophet in the open, and I'll make sure you get away unharmed. I'll have you a nice, cushy pelican extraction back to the nearest UNSC command base, as well as the most lavish cell for you and your girlfriend. Complements of Admiral Parangosky herself! We'll spare no expense."

"You should have been a salesman," He grumbled over the line. She zoomed in, watching him roll his eyes before being approached by another, lower ranking Brute. "What do you want," He demanded, deepening his voice and raising his volume. The Brute saluted him, saying something Erin couldn't hear. "That's not my authorization worm. Take it up with Riktus. Where's the command unit?"" The Brute looked about, pointing to a humanbuilding with windows all around the walls. "Get back to your job then, or I'll have you flogged for laziness." The brute saluted, rushing off towards whatever he was doing before. "Idiots, all of them."

"Should be in good company buddy," She quipped. "You're all backstabbers in there." He lumbered toward the identified building, growling on the coms.

"I haven't betrayed anyone," He said, stopping before the door. "Yet. This is the structure. I'll lead anyone out that I can, but no promises there's a Hierarch in here."

"Roger King Kong. We'll keep the island warm for you." He huffed, shaking his head before he opened the door and went inside. Erin increased magnification to full, trying to get a look at what was inside. This was futile, however, and the sun was displaying the full efficacy of their reflective coating, only allowing her to see the black armored Grunts and Jackal majors lining the room. She took aim at the door instead, reducing her magnification enough to see anyone approach it.

And so she waited.

 **XXXXXXX**

"Good of you to finally join us Maximus," Riktus, another Chieftain, said as the doors scissored closed behind him. "Have you finished your search for museums in this city?" a few of the other chieftains laughed at this for a moment, and Maximus simply crossed his arms.

"Actually yes," He said. "I found myself a nice impressionist painting of your fat mate this time. Though I decided to burn it, because nothing that hideous should be allowed to be seen by even humans." He smirked as Riktus snarled.

"One more comment like that and I'll have your balls for a trophy."

"Is that because you don't have any of your own?" Maximus chuckled, clearly unafraid of the younger chieftain. "We all know you're a eunuch, Riktus. Wasn't that part of your mate's demands after your first child? Too bad she's as hideous as her parents. She could have had such potential." Riktus howled a warcry, removing his Gravity Hammer from his back.

"I'll have your eyeteeth for that," He roared, readying to charge.

"I will not have my commander's fighting."

Riktus turned to face to voice, seeing the hologram of Truth, High Prophet of the Covenant. He knelt, as did Maximus and the others.

"Please, I have no time for ceremony." He waved them all to stand. "Commanders, I must away at once. A holy ring, a Halo, has been found by Mercy. I was on route to your system, however this discovery requires that High Charity be present to oversee the beginning of the Great Journey. You all have full autonomy here. I expect the excavation to continue unimpeded, and the human pestilence on this world be hunted down and exterminated. Maximus, I know how hard it was for you to carry out my order. Risha was a loyal and dedicated warrior, and our Covenant is lesser for the lack of her. However progress must march on, I do hope you understand."

"Absolutely Hierarch," He said, bowing slightly. "If their removal from our Covenant can bring us one step closer to the end of our Journey, then the means justify the ends."

"Quite," Truth said. "However I know how close you become with your subordinates, as well as superiors." Maximus bowed again, feeling filthy being seen with this group of murderers. "You have full charge of the ground forces here, Maximus. Your squadrons performed the best in the invasion and and secured their sectors most expediently, and with minimal casualties I might add."

"You honor me."

"No, not at all. I respect you. You have earned this. Take care that nothing stops our progress. For the Journey!"

"For the Journey!" The assembled chieftains cried, seeing Truth off as his hologram faded.

"I'll be dead before I take orders from you," Riktus spat, passing Maximus and slamming his shoulder into his. Maximus grabbed his arm, squeezing tight.

"You would do well to take care in what you say." He released the lesser chieftain, making for the door. "I have a target…"

 **XXXXXXX**

"He what," Erin asked as Maximus exited the building. "Well this throws a wrench in things."

"I do not believe wrenches have anything to do with it." He had moved into a prefab structure, and now had a break between visits from ranking covenant members. "This could be a fortuitous turn for your plan Demon. From here I can coordinate the Covenant occupation to give humans a better chance of surviving, or at least getting out of the city to muster with your commanders for a counter attack. Once I am finished solidifying my command here, meet me somewhere secure. I could shift patrols away from the location to give us utmost privacy."

"Solid plan," She said, glancing at the image of Riktus he had sent her. "Except that one loose thread."

"He is not a thread. You cannot pull him to unravel the cloth of the occupation. He is most definitely an obstacle. However, he is an obstacle I can deal with personally. Eventually he will approach me and challenge my rule, and then I can either cow him with dominance, subdue him with injury, or eliminate him entirely. The latter and median choices are preferable, though, because if I only humiliate him his subordinates will rally to him in an effort to subvert my word."

"Well that's a good plan," Erin said, leveling her crosshairs on the Brute in question. "But so is an Anti-Materiel round."

"Please do not kill him yet." She could feel the frustration emanating over the line. "If you eliminate him now, I will fall suspect after our recent confrontation. The best course of action is to allow him to come to me. We are a barbaric race by all accounts, however we do hold to honor. I will build a following here, and should he come with subordinates to attack me then I shall have the proper back up."

"Well, I'll leave you to that then" She scanned the compound, recording her view to send to FLEETCOM when the had a secure connection. "What is the likely course they'll take if you start sending too many brutes to their deaths?"

"That's where you're not going to appreciate this plan. I am going to have to kill humans in near equal but still lesser numbers. This will take cooperation on both of our parts. You will have to coordinate with any surviving humans in the city to make maneuvers against us. I will never send too many for them to deal with, but there will be casualties."

"You don't sound too upset about this," She said, moving from the rifle and taking a spotter's scope. She surveyed the surrounding area, noting any patrol paths that seemed established.

"You think I want to wage a war against your people, after everything I have witnessed and the lengths I took to protect Risha?" He took a deep breath, having noticed he had raised his voice. "No, I don't take pleasure in this, but your West Point teaches a leader must be willing to send men to their deaths. I will be sending my own species to their deaths in excess. You must compromise if we are going to succeed in this endeavor." The sound of a door opening traveled over the line. "I have to go."

"King Kong," Erin said, tilting her head to try and wedge the speaker into her ear. "Maximus!" She listened closely, but only heard the quiet static of a closed channel. "Son of a bitch. Alright. I'll go round up all the strays and herd them into... something." She huffed in anger as she took the rifle back up, taking aim at a patrol that was near the Biological Preserve. With her radio in passive mode and the dish aimed where she looked, she picked up far more traffic from the area. A Marine Colonel was coordinating efforts to take control of the CAS carrier's former LZ. She heard quite a bit of information about some ODST named Dutch causing all sorts of issues for the brutes still in there. She ignored it, however; there was no way into there to be of any assistance. She quietly lined up the head of a brute with her crosshairs, taking off his hat with the first round, then mopping up his grunt squad with the remainder of the magazine.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Maximus reclined in his chair, sighing as he removed the earpiece he used to communicate with the Demon. In the course of hours his world had turned upside down, and now he had to figure a way to make it work in his favor. At any time he could be killed, by the Demon or by one of Riktus's cronies. However the former wasn't an immediate threat; She would give him time to work things in their favor, and if he didn't perform she would more likely use Risha for zeroing her weapon before she directly took him out. She knew how to get to him, and it royally pissed him off that he had been so reckless as to let her come to suspicion. He slammed his fist against the crate that served as his desk, growling in frustration. A low whistle sounded, letting him know someone was requesting entry. "Enter!" He called, watching as Riktus and two of his subordinates entered. They weren't Jiralhanae, which surprised him, instead being his ranking Kig Yar and Unggoy. "What is it?"

"I'm not stupid enough to defy a Prophet," Riktus grumbled, leaning his hammer against a wall by the door. "Especially the High Prophet."

"What brought this change in perspective about?"

"Self-preservation," He replied, leaning against a stack of cargo near the desk-crate. "Mostly. My lessers won't follow my orders until they are allied with yours. The pirates respect power, and you hold all of it now." MAximus laughed, appreciating the moment.

"I had expected a dagger in the back before you walked here of your own accord." He hummed as he thought, examining the terminal that displayed all of his unit placements. "Move your units to sector three, relieve the patrols and send them here, and have them all patrol from the sector zero transit hub through sector one, four, and six.."

Riktus moving around Maximus, examining the display and pointing to another section of the map. "What about sector 2? There doesn't seem to be anyone stationed there."

"I have Cerebus set to go there. I forgot to enter it in." He pressed the required interface options, changing the map so that it matched. "I need you in sector three, near the human police station. There will be a lot of resistance there, I would think. That is where most of the human resistance focuses, along with their hospitals and spaceports, in my experience." Riktus stared at him, as if questioning the logic behind the order. "Trust in me, Riktus, and you will bring this Covenant and your tribe glory. Any resistance will likely fill your sector, looking for an escape when the ship's descend to begin the excavation of the artifact." They stared at one another, Maximus keeping his expression stoic as Riktus scrutinized him.

"By your command," He said after nearly a full minute, making his way out of the door. The two subordinates followed behind, leaving the room vacant save Maximus.

Relief washed over him that Riktus was currently dealt with, and he stood up to make for the door and see to ensuring Sector 2 was locked down from the outside. The earth shook as he stepped into the afternoon daylight, directing his sight at the massive tower in the harbor as the sound of cables snapping reached his ears. The structure buckled and warped, massive chunks of its rings flying over head, demolishing buildings and countryside alike. "Get to cover!" He roared, organizing the panicking Unggoy and Kig Yar. "Don't go in that building," He called to a Jiralhanae about to enter a prefab. "You'll be crushed if the debris collapses the structure!" As soon as he had stated this a massive section of concrete ring smashed the structure, spattering Jiralhanae gore across Maximus's chest and face. He covered his face with an arm, blocking more dangerous debris, and the world began to settle, slowly becoming still with an eerie quiet. Dust muffled the world, the earth ceased to shiver and shake, he could hear small impacts around him, a few larger one far in the distance. As the air cleared he lowered his arm, seeing the young male's head before his feat, face twisted in terror. He felt nothing for him however, other than the overwhelming sense of futility that the Journey now instilled in him.

 **XXXXXXX**

Erin piloted a Mongoose through the city streets, heading toward the sound of gunfire. She had made contact with a contingent of ODSTs that had been blasted from their projected trajectory, and was responding to their call for assistance. In one hand she held the handlebars, sliding the back-end around to tightly navigate the maze of vehicle husks and bodies. In her other hand was a SPNKr launcher, loaded with two tubes, safety off. They had mentioned a large enemy force supplemented by Hunters, Towering monsters wielding terribly powerful beam and plasma weaponry and impenetrable starship-class metal shields. They had estimated around ten Brutes, seventeen Jackals, and nearly fifty Grunts. This, combined with the Hunters, meant they had found a hardpoint and were doing their damnedest to keep it, which meant it was important.

"If you're coming Spartan," One of the ODSTs called over the radio. "Then you might wanna hurry it up!"

"Watch your fire," She replied as she threw the rear of the Quad around a corner, gunning the throttle and launching off of a raised highway barrier. In one second she assessed the situation, her VISR system displaying everything without an IFF tag in bright red. The square was filled with covenant at about, but slightly less, than they had reported. She looked to the ODST's, firing from the front doors of the NMPD tower. One was down, wounded in his chest it seemed. The rest were unloading their M7s into the hoard. In the second second she angled the mongoose on a trajectory to mow through a group of mixed units before kicking it forward, letting loose with both SPNKr tubes at the nearest Hunter. In the third second the Rocket pair blasted the Hunter into a pile of smoldering armor and writhing worms. In the fourth second the Mongoose plowed into the crowd, taking five Jackals and ten grunts down as it carried through, disrobing a Brute of his power armor before she landed on the ground. Second six; She dropped the spent tubes, drawing her M6 and eliminating the Brute with a clean shot to the head before placing her remaining rockets into the launcher.

It took six second for the left flank of the company to be eliminated, however she didn't have time to continue. The rockets had given her away and the rest of the company had turned to fire on her. Plasma lanced through the air around her, arcing off her shields, spikes ricocheting from the plates of her armor. She emptied the tubes toward the remaining Hunter as he fired his weapon, Erin dropping the launcher and pressing off the ground with all four limbs. The radioactive charge passed under her, exploding just behind her position and casting her high into the air and toward the company of villains. As she sailed through the air the rocket's impacted the Hunter, casting worms and shrapnel around the area, eliminating ten others nearby with splash and the detonation of it's remaining ammunition supply. She caught the blast wave, using the solid air to shift her position before landing on a Brute captain. She drove her knife into his eye, the momentum of her descent and the force of her thrust carrying her blade and fist through his skull. She felt the blade bite into flesh on the other side and plasma deflect off of her armor's refractive coating. She turned about, drawing her blade and slicing through a group of Grunts, the titanium edge deflecting off of a Jackal shield.

"Little help boys!" She called out, priming two grenades and tossing them into opposite ends of the crowd before charging a Brute and barreling through him. She exited the mass of bodies, scooping two MA5 rifles from their deceased owners and taking cover behind a tank husk. The ODST's hesitated for a moment, stunned by the efficacy of her actions and the devastation she had caused in so short of a time. The grenades detonated, snapping them out of their stupor, and they began picking targets off, aiming for the weaker enemies.

"That turret's still active," One of them called out, her VISR system getting a locator beacon from them. She rose from cover, wielding the rifles Akimbo, taking down a full like of Grunts and Jackals before the magazines ran dry. She mounted the turret, tearing it from its moorings and using it to mow down the remaining Brutes. The battle raged for ten seconds longer before the final alien fell, Erin tossing the gun down onto the asphalt and dropping from the tank.

"Much appreciated Spartan," an ODST called out, leaving cover. Her VISR labeled him as Edward Buck, revealing the other ODST's as Dutch, Romeo and Mickey. "You have no idea how glad I am to see one of you here. You're here to Extract, right?" He removed his helmet, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Negative Gunny," She said, scanning the city with her observation package. The radio was still filled with distress calls from stranded Army and Marine units under heavy pressure, however these calls were dying fast. Only three platoons of human forces seemed to be alive, and they were deeper into the Tanaga area of the city. "I'm not officially here. I was headed for the Carrier like you were before it jumped away." He raised an eyebrow, looking her over.

"I know you," He said. "B One Seventy. I met your classmate on Reach. B Three Twelve. Helped me get out of New Alexandrea with a bunch of civilians. Your operation on Arcadia helped save a lot of lives, even if we lost it." An explosion sounded in the distance, drawing his attention for a moment. Erin gave him a sideways glance, prompting him to tap his helmet. "VISR trades a lot of info when it's tapped, and you have a lot of black ink on your file." He looked back at his men, watching Mickey help Romeo to walk. "I'm not gonna ask what your directive is now Spartan, probably above my clearance, but you haven't seen a stray ODST around the city have you?"

"Negative," She said, trying to tap into the Super and access the traffic cameras. She clenched her jaw rhythmically in frustration as the link failed.

"Heard anything from a Veronica Dare?" She shook her head, prompting him to sigh and deflate slightly. He shook his head, rising back to full height. "Thanks for the assist, anyway." He held out a hand, and she took it, shaking it twice. "I'm getting my men out of this city before the Covenant glass it. I'm going to try the train. Tell anyone you meet out there, if they want out, that's their best bet." She accessed his file, reading it's entirety as she watched him walk away. She opened a private scrambled line to his radio as he put his helmet back on.

"Gunny," She said, sending him a classified document. "Burn after reading, but give it some thought. You'd fit right in, so someone's going to offer it to you later. Just a heads up." He looked back, giving her a nod over his shoulder before taking Romeo's other arm and helping them speed their progress. Erin scavenged weapons and ammo from the fallen, taking whatever she could find from both Covenant and Human alike. Night was falling, the sun was hidden behind the buildings and structures of the industrial district, and one by one, as the light faded, the cries for help died.

 **XXXXXXX**

Maximus surveyed the carnage littering the square of sector three, Riktus taking toll of who in the pack had died here. The area was lit by a Phantom's searchlight scanning for any evidence of where the Human force had fled to.

"This must have taken nearly a hundred Humans," Riktus said, laying a fallen Jiralhanae onto his back. He stood, wiping blood from his hands on a rag. "They cannot be far away, a force that large moves quite slow." He moved to Maximus's side. "We should hunt them down and take vengeance for this."

"No." Maximus shook his head. Riktus narrowed his gaze, growling.

"We must secure the city. If there are that many humans they can mount a counter attack on our camp!"

"I said, no." Maximus gave him a stern stare. "Like you said, a force that large is slow. And a force that large would also be very loud and visible. No patrols anywhere in the city have reported such large human activity. This is the work of one human, one _Demon_." He knelt, reaching into the cavity that was a captain's skull, retrieving a long knife. "This is one of their blades," He said, holding it up to the light. "This Demon entered from there," He pointed behind himself, directing Riktus toward a street with raised traffic barriers. "Riding that human vehicle." He indicated the wrecked Mongoose smoking against a wall. "The Demon then used their rockets to eliminate the Mgalekgolo, then proceeded to kill the remainder of the company you were to replace. I suspect most of them died to that human turret."

"Then we hunt down this demon, and make him suffer."

"No, _we_ will not. You will patrol your sectors as I commanded." Riktus snarled and was about to retort when Maximus raised a hand. "I will kill the Demon. I was lax by not considering that a Demon was present in the city, therefore it is my responsibility to eliminate him." Riktus stared at him,contemplating his words, then nodded once.

"Then go Commander. Only call if you need assistance, and my troops will be there." They clasped arms, jostling one another. Maximus separated from him, making his way about the carnage. He found Erin's bootprints fading toward sector two, and made in that direction, vanishing into the alleyways away from the searchlight.

"Spartan," He said over the radio, hailing Erin.

"Yeah," She said, sounding more hoarse than usual. Maximus turned down an alley, following the beacon she sent him as it displayed on his wrist. She had created a maze of a path, however further in he saw evidence of destruction. There were pieces of Unggoy and Kig Yar littering the path; arms, legs, and heads severed, bodies sundered in two, bisected across the stomach or from prick to sternum, nape to navel. Farther along the destruction became that of the environment. Bins were crushed, dumpsters tipped and caved in sections, corners of buildings missing ragged chunks and their debris imprinted with a fist or a boot. Eventually he found her, sitting in a garden surrounded by dead humans. Around the ring of bodies were more, bodies of Covenant smashed and demolished by projectiles, plasma and explosives.

"They were dead when I arrived," she said, gently nudging a human body with her toe. In her arms was a child, a girl no older than three with dark braided hair matted with blood. Erin's helmet was off, laying on the concrete bench beside her, and she stroked the deceased child's hair, gently rocking herself too and fro. "They were lined up and executed by him." She twitched her head toward a dead Jiralhanae, the chieftain named Cerebus he had stationed here. How he could identify the body he wasn't certain, for his face was a mess of broken bones and pulped flesh. Maximus stood outside the ring of dead covenant, hands clasped loosely behind his back. "I came in while he was laughing and shot the last one. He grabbed this little girl and was about to cut her open before I started shooting." She looked up at the sky, staring at the moon overhead as it broke through the clouds. He could see tears on her face, still streaming from her eyes, marring her face with long lines. She gritted her teeth, convulsing as spittle flew from her mouth, sobbing in great heaves and curling herself over the body of the child.

"Erin…" He nearly whispered the word, removing his helmet as he carefully stepped toward her.

"He tossed her." She said, rising back to her seat and becoming eerily still. "He threw he against the wall." She laughed without humor, a manic sound that brought a chill to his hide. "I rushed him. Took him to the ground, I did. He tried to grab me and I broke his hands and arms, tore his armor away piece by piece. I choke him until he turned blue, but I could still feel a pulse. So I tore out his heart with my hands. I pulled open his chest, and I ripped it from his chest." She opened her hand, letting the organ fall to the ground. "But she was dead when I got to her…" She gazed down on the girl, stroking an ebony cheek with the back of her fingers, wiping away blood with a thumb. He crouched next to her, feeling tears of his own begin to wet his fur as he extended a hand toward the girl's body. The ringing of metal was all the warning he got before he felt his skin pricked by a blade, the edge of her sword pressed against his throat. "I'll gut you," She growled, murder on her eyes as he looked to her face. He held up his palms, beginning to back away when she dropped the blade, curling into another fit of violent weeping.

"I'm so sorry, Erin… I didn't know-"

" _ **That there were children on Earth**_?!" He blinked as his ears rang from the volume of her scream, stunned into a petrified state. "That your plan would cost the live of people who _didn't deserve to die_?" She became quiet, her face a flat canvas of sorrow and mourning. "She was a _baby_ , you fuckin monster! She hadn't gotten to live yet, and your plan caused this. _You killed her_! _**Her blood is on your hands**_!" Maximus rushed back, tripping over a fallen Grunt. He raised his arm to block an attack, but none came. Instead he heard singing, words to a tune in a lilting and soft language. He lowered his arm, watching as Erin cradled the child, singing softly to the tune of a lullaby, wrapping her in a swatch of stark white cloth. " _Paid ag ofni, dim ond deilen. Gura, gura ar y ddôr._ _Paid ag ofni, ton fach unig. Sua, sua ar lan y môr. Huna blentyn, nid oes yma. Ddim i roddi iti fraw. Gwena'n dawel yn fy mynwes. Ar yr engyl gwynion draw._ "

Erin stood, walking towards a shallow depression in one of the garden plots. She knelt, carefully and slowly placing the child inside. She scooped earth into the depression, filling it until it mounded over before stacking rocks upon the top. HE carefully approached her as she layered the stone's over it, creating a makeshift tomb for the child, working through her hiccuping sobs and tremors. HE stood behind her, shoulders low and head hung in regret. He had never wanted this, he had hoped to ease the fighting, to give them a chance to escape, to survive. However he now beheld to horror that was no doubt repeating throughout the planet in every human city besieged by the Covenant. Families were being torn apart, children were being murdered. He felt as she described him. He was a monster, a thing to be feared and hated, an example of what _not_ to be to children and adults alike.

"I want to kill you," She said after a long silence, her eyes remaining shut tight, her face contorted in rage. He could smell her intent, her conviction and bloodlust. "I want to kill you, and Riktus, and every _fucking_ brute in the universe. I want to hunt you all down, I want to tear out your eyes and feed you your own organs as you fade into that cold dark void, I want to burn you worlds and terrorize your people. I would find your children and I would rip into their viscera while they were in the cradle, while they were still in their mothers wombs." He balled her fists, eyes wide with anger and hatred, panting in rage.

"Then kill me," He said, kneeling and bowing until his head touched the ground. "Take my life, for it is not worth living when i have participated in such monstrous acts." ERin glared at him, seeing he had placed her sword beside her. She took the blade up, standing and moving to his side, raising the blade to remove his head from his body. "Do it," He begged, looking at her. She stared down at him, seeing the shame and sorrow in his eyes, the loathe to live and the regret for having drawn breath. "Do it!"

"No." She lowered her blade, returning it to it's place between her shoulders. She glared down at him, wishing she had chosen differently. "You will live with this. You will live with it and think about it every second of your life until you die, and go to whatever hell you belong in." They maintained eye contact for a minute longer before he looked away, whereupon she kicked him in the ribs. She felt his armor cave, and quickly grabbed the offending obstacle. She continued to assault him, forcing him to roll to his side, clutching his abdomen ad she did her damnedest to disfigure him. With a kinal stroke of her foot, she kicked him in the face, breaking his nose and causing it to spurt blood. "I will never forgive you _things_ for what you have done. And I will never forgive _you_ , no matter what you do to make amends. Once we part ways, should I ever see you again, I will personally remove you from this universe as slowly, and _painfully_ , as possible." She spat in his face, hurrying to her helmet and slamming it over her head. She made to leave the garden, but diverted her course, slamming her fist into a wall and producing a crater. She sunk to her knees, tearing the helmet from her head and casting it away, rocking herself as she wept and screamed over the death she had witnessed again and again in her life.

Maximus heaved air and coughed blood as her assault registered in full, clutching his abdomen in agony as he attempted to get his feet under him. Standing was difficult, and he was certain he was bleeding into his lung. He could almost feel his liver weeping inside of him as he finally rose into a hunched stand. The pain swept over him in waves, forcing him to his knees and his stomach to empty itself over the concrete, dark blood mixed into the vomit. Slowly he crawled to her, rising onto his knees and pulling her into his arms. She fought him, pushing him away and striking at his injuries. He persisted, feeling her resistance ebb with each push, with each strike, until he finally held her in an embrace. He lifted her into his arms, cradling her has she had the child before taking a seat against a wall. She demanded he release her weakly in between sobs, but he only pulled her closer, being the support she needed, even if she didn't want it to be him.

"You fuckin monster," She wheezed, pressing her face into his fur as she cried. He cradled her head, gently stroking her hair as she clutched at his fur with her hands. Rain began to fall, slowly, preceding the low rumble of thunder, the bass sound mingling with his hums. He followed the tune of the lullaby she had sang, gently rocking her as she began to relax, as her weeping slowly faded into wheezing coughs. After nearly a half hour she turned onto her back, visibly fatigued by the effort it took, staring up at the clouds overhead and letting the rain sooth her skin. He looked to her, and could tell she was still lost in sorrow but did not possess the means to weep.

"I can't keep this up," She croaked, looking at him as his eyes drew to her. "I can't keep fighting this war. It's always the same, every planet, every city, every mission. This…" She limply gestured to the grave with her hand, shaking her head. "It's nothing new. I've seen it all before; ever since I was a little girl you people have been coming down from the sky and burning our worlds. I wanted revenge when I became a Spartan. I wanted so badly to kill you people, to strike out at you instead of retreating. But…" She shook her head again. "I just want to sleep. I'm so tired of the death and the carnage. Revenge is not what you think it would feel like. It feel hollow, empty and cold in your head and chest. It makes you numb…"

"Then don't fight for revenge."

"What else is there for me?" She laughed humorlessly, only this time he felt pity in place of fear. "My parents are dead, New Constantinople is glassed, you've already found Earth. There's no point any more. If I see another dead kid…" She looked up at him. "Why didn't I die with my parents? Why couldn't I have died with my class, or on Arcadia, or with Garrett in the drop?"

"You were meant to live."

"My life is worth shit," She said, closing her eyes. "I'm a disposable hero, just like all the other Three's were." She fell silent, Breathing deeply as rain fell upon them. With great effort Maximus rose to his feet, limping away from the square. He took the north exit, entering the street and heading toward the tower they had left Risha and Alex within.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Another chapter, this time focusing on Erin and Maximus.**

 **This project went from reclamation of an old story to an entirely new project. I realized after the Prologue chapter that I had to scrap so much of the original that it was basically an entirely different story with different characters and plot points. So I drew up a storyboard and redesigned the characters for the last chapter. The Lemon was still in the original work, however the premise around it was different.**

 **The characters, thought they share the same names as they did before, Are now separate aspects of myself. Alex is the man I used to be when I was younger, though with a more war weary psychological profile. He's seen a lot, about as much as Buck has, though as a medic instead of a shock trooper. He's cautions and thick skinned, but still compassionate and moves with confidence. A comment on the last chapter mentioned he seemed Bi-Polar with Risha's advances, however he was more cautious about her advances and struggling with his morals, and once committed to the act fully embraced it. He possesses empathy to all things, human, animal and alien alike that allows him to quickly assess and judge someone to almost a T.**

 **Risha is the woman I am now. Strong and dangerous when she needs to be, yet sensitive and tender. She's still a little Naive as well, like myself. The same comment from earlier mentioned it was odd that she broke down from physical danger, however that is not the case. I may not have done the best job in portraying this, but she wasn't afraid. Imagine you were her, on an alien planet far from home, your people presumably being genocidal pursued while you are unable to make any difference. She was overwhelmed, and in fact wanted Erin to pull the trigger, to end her stress. Someone in such a tumultuous emotional state is liable to act compulsively in any given moment, and finding that Alex cared for her to any extent and genuinely held no real anger toward her, and possibly like her even, caused the baser part of her instincts to take over. She is also not the only Elite in the covenant military. She said they don't usually enter the service, not that they never do. I'll try and do a better job addressing any instances like those from now on.**

 **Maximus embodies my intellect, desire to help others and avoid confrontation. He's far gentler than other Brutes, as obvious, and far more learned, as obvious as well. However he is more compassionate and vulnerable to the suffering of those oppressed, bringing about his wish to help the humans. HE is loyal to a near fault to those in direct command to him, and believed in the structure of the covenant like many other Brutes do in the cannon, so he chose to warn and protect Risha, rather than follow the order or lead her to another brute that would do the job for him.**

 **Erin…. She's the embodyment of everything i hate about myself, or was when i started creating her. She was based on the Intrusive thoughts i have, things that make me feel terrible like wishing to harm those I care for and a general disregard for any** _ **human**_ **quality a person could have. However the character is still human, and though severely damaged by her experiences and desensitized, is still highly vulnerable to shock and horror when her training slips.**

 **I hope this clears up any confusion. And I agree that the Lemon came way too soon, but then I was still posting a prewritten story with better quality. From now on things will move at a more real pace. The Song sung by Erin is "Suo Gan", a traditional Welsh lullaby my grandmother would sing to me when I was a child and had nightmares. Please leave any comments, criticisms and suggestions, as always. Be excellent to each other my dudes!**


	4. Pulling the plug y'all

**Alright! it is I, Maeve, High Queen of bad (terrible awful horrendous please kill me for thinking about half of the stuff I've written) Smut novella. And I'm here to tell you I read over the fic and I've decided to scrap it, place this on a canceled status and rewrite the whole damn thing from top to bottom. I have all the original chapters written back in 2012 on my old (torn from the chest of its former owner) Laptop hard drive and its really, really edgy. Like... I swear I was like 12 when I wrote this except I wasn't. I was like 21 and joined the Army soon after. Anyway, sorry to disappoint but here are issues I have with what you have and have not seen of what was written.**

 **Pacing. I know this is supposed to happen between Halo 2, ODST, and 3, (which is barely three days) but Christ on a Pogo Stick it moves way too fast and in too many odd directions. That lemon was Chapter 5 stuff, long after more character development had happened.**

 **Characters. All of these characters are fuckin loonies. Notes from before, and I'll give em too you in quotes.**

 **"ERin needs to be a sociopath but also have emotions. Eventually break down and go on a frenzy and almost kill everyone in the group and then start crying at the last minute kind of person."**

 **Shit like that. The fuck was I thinking just cleaning this up and putting it on the internet? Guess I wasn't.**

 **Characters again. MAximus is too quiet, even for the kind of 'pacifist until forced' character I was trying to paint him as from the original version to the newer cleaner version. Even if he's a pacifist, he's still a brute and would face his problems head on before they got close enough to catch him off guard. Risha is too demure, as someone pointed out in a nice critique I thoroughly appreciate. She swings too heavily from ice blooded to heart-on-her-sleeve, and that actually makes me pretty mad cause I try to have strong female characters that don't need no gender norms. Alex…. Well he's an older style of self insert, me as i was back when i thought being Emo and Edgy was cool. That god the Drill Sergeants beat that out of me. All of them will get reworked. (See Ironman 1 where RDJ starts on the Mk2 suit)**

 **Settings. Like, I really need to start painting a better picture. This may just be me being my worst critic, but when I read it I get confused and lost as to what time it is and where the fuck they are. I'll use the New Mombasa Industrial Zone reference from the Halo Wikia page at the bottom, cause that's where most of the tale will happen when I return to it.**

 **Synopsys. That short discription thing was copy pasted from a DOCX file on my hard drive and it's really, reaaaaally misleading. Makes it sound like an action fic when in reality i was going more for an "exposition on the effects of prolonged war on the sentient psyche" and give these characters real world stress related breakdowns due to the Human Covenant War. I'll do better i promise.**

 **So, those are my top 6, but there are thousands of tiny nitpicks and moments that made me just say Nope and close the files. Anyway, this is the end, but the end is just another beginning. If you're following this story, follow me and you'll get an email in a few weeks (Maybe sooner (don't hope too much)) about a new version of this fic with all the old names you may have fapped to once and kinda looked at it like "Dafuq?!".**

 **Anyway, Be Excellent, and I'll be working on this if anyone needs me.**


End file.
